The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-09-03
A WAR STORY.
The Union Spy Of the Kelly Lam
GERS and the "Rebel Queen"
A Monongalia Soldiers Thrilling Ex.
perience in the Late War.
Written for the New DOMINION.
PART SIXTH.

PART SIXTH
By this time it began to get dark,
and the Lieutenant and his men he'd
built a fire and prepared supper.
After eating they spread their blan-
kets and retired to sleep, all except
one, who was detailed to guard me-
AS everything became quiet I was
left to meditation. My mind wan
dered back to my childhood home
in the beautiful Ohio Valley; to my
school days and my early compan-
ions, and / wondered where they all
were. l thought of the many friend
ships | had formed in the different
places had resided since the days
of my childhood; the many blessings
and happy hours the good being had
granted me during my short life,
and now the horrid thought that /
was doomed to die on the morrow
by rebel bullet piercing my heart
Time passed slowly and YEARLY.
Sentinels we're relieved and others
took their places. No sounds were
audible save the hooting of the owl
or the distant scream of the wildcat.
About IL o'clock another sound
startled ME, as it also did the senti-
mel. To our left there appeared to
be a deep ravine or gorge, from
which came the wall of woman ap-
parently in deep distress. The SEN
tinel sprang to his feet and listened.
The sound was repeated again and
again. The sentinel asked me if /
thought it possible that the Queen
or Lorena had got lost and had wan
dered up into this gorge, as he knew
of no one living within several miles
of that place. l told him it might
be possible that it was one of them.
He said he would go down and find
out. He examined the cord with
which / was bound and found that
l was securely tied and could not
possibly escape. He made fagot
of some pine knots and then passed
down gully which led to the gorge
or canon. / differed from the senti-
mel in what produced the cry, but l
was not Opposed to tell him as / was
anxious to have him leave me and
would have been glad had he taken
all his companions, but strange to
relate he did not wake any of them.
l have been in forests inhabited by
panthers and have upon different
occasions heard their screams, but
only old hunters and back woods
people can distinguish the same
from the wall of woman in distress.
The absence of the sentinel gave me
another opportunity for reflection.
Why was l there tied up in the
midst of the forest at the hour of
midnight2 What object had these
girls in decoying me into the hands
of the enemy? Was it through bit
ter partizan feelings or was it per-
sonal animosity? My former actions
as a spy were through patriotic mo-
tives; the present only to ascertain
where the rebel postoffice was locat-
ed and who was acting as postmas-
ter. And these facts gained would
not compensate me for the risk |
was running. Therefore my main
object was simply love for adven-
ture, and was now getting more
than l desired, and tomorrow II
would pay the penalty with my life,
unless kind heaven in some way pre-
vented
While engaged in these medita-
tions l was startled by the crack
ling of twigs in the woods behind
me. / listened and found the OBJ
ject was stealthily approaching me.
What was itp The idea flashed
across my mind that it was a pan
Their. As it approached closer and
closer it occurred to me that it |
would spare the rebels the sin of
committing murder (by shooting
me on the morrow by killing me
with it's claws; that being tied the
panther would kill me before the
rebel soldiers could get to me. /
thought l would rather be killed by
the claws of a wild beast than by
the bullets Of my enemies. there
fore determined to remain quiet and |
meet my fate, Notwithstanding the
cold drops of perspiration were
standing upon my face. The object
had come within four or five feet of
me and was waiting for the fatal
spring of the animal upon me when,
to my surprise, instead of panther
Lorena sprang before me. She held
a glittering knife aloft in her hand.
The thought occurred then that the
mode Of my execution had changed
from rebel bullets to the claws Of a |
wild animal, and now had changed /
to dagger in the hands Of beau
tiful woman.
conti'sxed. |